IELTS Recent Mock Tests Volume 5

Published on: 24 Jan 2018
Tests taken: 1,542,964

Answer Keys:

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Part 1: Question 1 - 10

1 Elsinore
2 077896245
3 waiter
4 baseball coach
5 rescue diver

6 diving experience
7 October
8 Saturday mornings
9 6 (o’clock)
10 (the) radio

Part 2: Question 11 - 20

11 B
12 C
13 B
14 A
15 C

16 A
17 B
18 B
19 A
20 A

Part 3: Question 21 - 30

21 C
22 B
23 B
24 D
25 F

26 G
27 E
28 C
29 A
30 B

Part 4: Question 31 - 40

31 nervous
32 a gift
33 last
34 well-organised/well-organized
35 paying attention

36 sheet of paper
37 full
38 one or two/1 or 2
39 time
40 a script

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Tips for improving your ielts score

How to solve the question type "Diagram/Flow Chart Completion" in IELTS Reading

Task description You are presented with a diagram/Flow Chart which shows some information from the text in picture format. There are labels...

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18 Sep 2018

Review & Explanations:

Part 1: Questions 1-10

Questions 1-10

Complete the form below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Phone interview
Name:	John Murphy
*Example*	Answer
Position applying for:	lifeguard
Street Address:	45 1 Court
Contact phone number:	2
Current part-time job:	3
Previous job at Ridgemont High School:	4
Additional relevant work experience:	5
Relevant skills/qualifications:	CPR certification & 6
CPR certification expiration date:	7
Preferred weekly shift:	8
Time available to start work:	9
Advertisement source:	10

1 Answer: Elsinore

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q1 is “address”.
From the question, we can assume that the answer must be words because there are numbers already.
The employer’s question “Could you give me your address?” can be seen as a suggestion for the answer’s appearance.
The answer for Q1 is quite noticeable as the applicant directly tells us the address, which is Elsinore.
The address is spelt after that, E-L-S-I-N-O-R-E. So, we can write down the answer easily.

2 Answer: 077896245

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q2 is “number”.
From the question, we can assume that the answer must be numbers.
From the answer of the applicant, “… 077896245. Call me on that one.”, the sentence “Call me on that one” tells us know that the employer can contact the applicant on this number. So, that is exactly the numbers we need to fill in the blank.

Note: The candidate can be confused between the number on the question of the employer, “099885767” and the number of the applicant. Be careful. “099885767” is just the applicant’s home phone.

3 Answer: waiter

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q3 is “part-time”.
From the question, we can assume that the answer must be one job.
From the answer of the applicant, “…I work part-time as a waiter.”, we can realize that the word we need to fill in the blank is “waiter”.

4 Answer: baseball coach

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q4 is “previous job at Ridgemont High School”.
From the question, we can assume that the answer must be one job.
The employer’s question suggests that the answer will appear soon.
The applicant’s answer, “…. I was the baseball coach at Ridgemont High School last season.” The sentence is on the past simple tense and tells us know what the applicant had done at the Ridgemont School. We need to fill a job, so “baseball coach” is an exact answer.

5 Answer: rescue diver

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q5 is “additional work experience”.
From the question, we can assume that the answer must be one another job.
The employer’s question, “do you have any other experience…”, suggests the answer will appear soon.
The applicant said “Yes.” And the answer is said right after that. “I worked at the beach as a rescue diver.” Because we need to write down the job, “rescue diver” is chosen.

6 Answer: diving experience

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q6 is “relevant skills”.
From the question, we are suggested filling in the blank with a noun.
The employer’s question, “ could you tell me about the relevant skills you have?”, tells us that the answer will appear soon.
There are two relevant skills the applicant referred on the answer, which are “CPR certified” and “diving experience”. You can easily realize that “CPR certified” was written down on the answer sheet. Hence, the other is the words we need to fill in the blank, “diving experience”.

7 Answer: October

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q7 is “CPR expiration date”.
From the question, it is suggested that we should fill with a date, or month.
The employer’s question, “When does your CPR certification expire?” suggest that the answer can appear after that.
From the applicant’s answer, “… it expires in October”, tells us that the answer we need to write down is October
Note: the candidate can feel confused between November and October. But if you listen carefully, November is just the thinking of the applicant, and after “…check my CPR card”, the expiration date is actually in October. For that reason, October is the answer we need.

8 Answer: Saturday mornings

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q8 is “preferred weekly shift”.
From the question, we can assume that the answer must be date or time.
The employer’s question, “When is your ideal time to work?”, suggests that the answer will appear soon. “Ideal time to work” also means “preferred…shift”.
Beyond the applicant’s answer, “… I like weekends best-specifically Saturday mornings”, we can realize that “best-specifically” is synonym for “preferred”. Together with the information we need to fill in the blank is time or date, “Saturday mornings” is an accurate answer.

Note: The candidate can be confused between “weeknights” and “Saturday mornings”. We need to listen carefully. “Weeknights” is the time the applicant works in the restaurant, so it is not the answer.

9 Answer: 6 (o’clock)

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q9 is “time available”.
From the question, we can assume that the information we must write down is time.
The employer’s question, “How early could you work Saturday morning?”, suggests that the answer will appear soon.
The applicant’s answer, “I can get there by 6.00 if need be”, tells us directly the answer. That is 6.00.

10 Answer: (the) radio

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q10 is “advertisement source”.
From the question, we can assume that the answer is a noun
The employer’s question, “where did you hear about us?”, suggests that the answer will appear soon.
The applicant’s answer, “I heard your ad on the radio while I was driving this morning”, tells us directly the information we need. That is “radio”.
Note: the candidate can feel confused between “radio” and “newspaper”. But if we listen carefully, we can realize that almost people heard the advertisement through the newspaper but for the applicant.

Part 1

Part 2: Questions 11-20

Questions 11-20

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C

The lecture was organised by

A City of Nottingham.
B University of Nottingham Students’ Union.
C Nottingham Police Department.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q11 is “the lecture is organised by”.
From the start, the first speaker introduced that he was from “the University of Nottingham Student Union”.
The second speaker, Carlos, said that “…thank the student union here at the university for organising this lecture.” “here” means “the University of Nottingham”. That means the University of Nottingham Students’ Union organised this lecture. For that reason, B is a correct answer.
“City of Nottingham” is referred as the place Carlos is serving and protecting. And “the police department” is referred as the place where Carlos is working. So, the answer A and C is not appropriate for the question.

The majority of crime on campus is

A Drugs and Alcohol.
B Violence
C Theft

Answer: C

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q12 is “majority of crime”.
The question “Does anyone know what type of crime is the most prevalent on campus?” includes the phrase “the most prevalent”, which suggests that the answer will appear soon.
“The biggest thing” also means “the most prevalent” or “the majority”. For that reason, theft is the answer we must choose.
“Drugs and alcohol” is referred as “not too much of an issue” which is antonym for the “majority”. Hence, A is a wrong answer.
“Violence? Nope.” The speaker concludes that violence is not the majority of crime. So B is not correct answer.

The campus crime rate has_____so far this year.

A increased
B decreased
C stayed the same

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q13 is “the campus crime rate…this year”.
The speaker told that “On campus….the overall crime rate has fallen this year.” Among the answers, “decreased” also means “has fallen”. Clearly, B is the correct answer.
“The rate stay the same for this calendar year” is referred to the crime rate across the East Midlands, not the campus. Hence, C is the wrong answer.
“…it has been increasing steadily over the past three years” is referred as the crime rate across the East Midlands over the past three years, not on campus this year. For that reason, A is wrong.

Why is there added concern about crime?

A exaggeration in media
B crime TV shows
C factual news articles

Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q14 is “added concern about crime”.
According to the speaker, exaggerated stories in the media cause more concern about crime. Hence, A is a correct answer.
The answer B, “crime TV shows” is referred as a little bit far fetched thing, but people know they are not real. “But” suggests a contrast idea. Hence, B is not a correct answer.
The answer C, “factual news articles” is referred as a thing which makes people have a sense of the safety level. “Safety level” is antonym for “more concern about crime”. It does not cause more concern about the crime. For that reason, C is wrong.

Carlos says if you are the victim of a crime, you should

A run away.
B resist
C seek help.

Answer: C

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

“let’s move on to what to do when you see a crime” suggests that the answer will soon appear.
“running away” is referred as an action which draw the attention too much. You shouldn’t do like that when see a crime. So, A is a wrong answer.
“resist” is also an action which is suggested not doing. Hence, B is not a correct answer.
“Instead” refers to a contrast idea and suggests something we should do when see a crime. “seek help” is an appropriate answer. C is a correct answer.

What is the primary method for increasing safety?

A informing students and staff of safety precautions
B offering free self-defense courses to students
C reminding students to carry a mobile phone at all times

Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q16 is “primary method for increasing safety”.
According to the speaker, “it is highly unlikely that you will find yourself amidst a crime, but it is important to be prepared should it ever happen” suggests that the answer will appear soon.
“educating students and staff on the correct precautions to take is the best way to increase your safety” is referred as the answer A. “educating students and staff on the correct precautions” also means “informing students and staff of safety precautions”. And “the best way” is synonym for “the primary method”. For that reason, A is a correct answer.
B is not referred in the audio, hence, B is a wrong answer.
The answer C is also referred in the audio, but it is not the primary method. So, C is not an appropriate choice.

If a student must work late, it is most important to

A not return home until the morning.
B go back with a friend.
C bring a mobile phone.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q17 is “work late”.
The information of “work late” is referred through “…left work or the library after 10p.m to go home..” in the audio. This suggests the answer will be soon appear.
According to the speaker, she said “please don’t walk alone”, “walk home with a friend or a coworker”, and “it is always safer to walk home with someone”. All of these supports for the answer B. Hence, B is a correct answer.
The answer A is not told in the audio.
Mobile phone is referred as a tool to contact with someone who we should go home with. That is not an important thing we need to do when working late. For that reason, C is not a correct answer.

It is dangerous to

A drive home late at night.
B carry a knife.
C carry pepper spray.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The answer C, “pepper spray” is referred as an example of one kind of self-defense, not a dangerous thing. So, C is not an appropriate answer.
The answer A is not included in the audio. Hence, A is not the answer.
The speaker refers “a knife” as an “offensive weapon”. The speaker explains that the knife can put the people in more danger, which means ‘dangerous”. For that reason, B is a right answer for question 18.

Students who complete a self-defense course are

A more aware of dangers.
B mentally tougher.
C walking more confidently.

Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q19 is “complete a self-defense course”.
“After taking a self-defense class” also means “complete a self-defense course” and the speaker also tells us directly the answer should be “be more aware of possible dangers”. For that reason, A is the best choice.
The answer B and C is not included in the speech.

A university is

A not surrounded by walls.
B patrolled by military.
C completely safe.

Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The word “surrounded” is synonym for “barrier”. For that reason, the answer A is a correct answer.
“Patrolled by military” is antonym for “no army force securing the borders”. Hence, the answer B is wrong.
According the audio, the university is generally safe, while the answer C says that it is complete safe. So, C is not an appropriate answer.

Previous Next

Part 2

Part 3: Questions 21-30

Questions 21-23

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

Information on the test is from

A the teacher.
B a class.
C a handout.

Answer: C

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q21 is “information on the test” and “from”.
According to Bobby, the information is referred directly, “everything is on a handout”. For that reason, C is an appropriate answer.
The answer A, “the teacher”, and the answer B, “a class”, is also included in the audion. But they just appear in the tutor’s question and they are not confirmed. Hence, they are not appropriate answers.

This assignment is important because

A it will become a permanent record.
B it is a must for passing 11th grade English.
C it will affect the English level next year.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q22 is “assignment” and “important”.
The Bobby’s question, “Is this assignment really that important?”, suggests that the answer will soon appear.
According to the tutor’s answer, “a major requirement” also means “a must”. And the information, “passing 11th grade English” is referred directly”. Hence, B is a correct answer.
“permanent record” is also inferred in the tutor’s answer, but it is not the reason why the assignment is important. So, A is not a correct answer.
“affect the English level next year” is also inferred in the Bobby’s question. But the tutor said “Not exactly” and explained that the grade of the project just determined the level of English Bobby was in next year. For that reason, C is not a correct answer.

Bobby chooses football as project topic because

A he often plays football.
B his father loves football.
C he is interested in football.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q23 is “football”, “project topic”, and “because”.
The tutor’s sentence, “tell me about your topic choice”, suggests that the answer will soon appear.
And Bobby’s sentence tells us directly why he chose football as his topic, “it’s because my father loves the sport”. For that reason, B is an exact answer.
The answer A and C is not inferred in the audio, hence, they are not the correct answers.

Questions 24-30

What problems do the speakers identify for this project?

Choose SEVEN answers from the box and write the letters, A-H, next to questions 24-30.

	Problems
A	too vague
B	too factual
C	too unreliable
D	too noisy
E	too long
F	too short
G	too complicated
H	too simple

24 Background sounds

25 Answers of questions

26 One of the questions

27 Time of answering

28 Recording equipment

29 Topic of project

30 Report on project

24 Answer: D

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q24 is “background sound”.
According to Bobby’s sentence, “the background noise is louder than the person’s voice” , it means “too noisy”. For that reason, D is an appropriate answer.

25 Answer: F

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q25 is “answers of questions”.
The tutor told “the player’s answer is too short”. It means that “too short” is the word we have to concern. For that reason, F is a correct answer.

26 Answer: G

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q26 is “one of…questions”.
According to the tutor’s turn, “let’s look back at this question”, “this question” is referred as one particular question. For that reason, the answer is suggested appearing soon.
Then, the tutor also said “It is a great idea for a question, but in an oral interview it is far too complex”. “too complex” is the word we should concern. Among the answers from A-H, the answer G “too complicated” is synonym for “too complex”. For that reason, G is an appropriate answer.
“I will simplify it” is inferred as the solution of the problem above. If you are not careful, you can be mistaken with the answer H.

27 Answer: E

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q27 is “time”.
According to Bobby’s talking, “ it took too much time”, it means that the time is “too much”. Among the answers from A-H, the answer E “too long” is synonym for this sentence. Hence, E is a correct answer.

28 Answer: C

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q28 is “recording equipment”.
As the tutor’s speaking, “use a more sophisticated recording device”, “This recording is spotty” and “the equipment wasn’t working consistently”, we can refer that the recording equipment is not working well. The answer C, “too unreliable” is an appropriate answer “spotty” or “not working consistently” is synonym for “too unreliable”.

29 Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q29 is “topic”
The tutor starts to speak that “let’s start by focusing on for topic”, which suggests that the keyword will be concerned after that.
And the tutor said “it seems inexplicit”. “it” is referred as “topic”. And the answer A, “too vague” is synonym for “inexplicit”. For that reason, A is the answer we must write down here.
And the question of Bobby, “is it really too vague?”, is referred as the conclusion of the right answer.

30 Answer: B
Listen from here Locate Explain Report
The keyword concerned in Q30 is “report”.
As the tutor, “..focused too much on the facts”. This is synonym for “too factual”, like the answer B. Hence, B is a correct answer.

Previous Next

Part 3

Part 4: Questions 31-40

Questions 31-40

Complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

GIVING A SPEECH

Reasons for nervousness

• Lecturers often feel more 31 if the speech is important.

• Many think that the ability to make a good public speaking is 32 , while in fact it is a skill that can be learned by anyone.

How to prepare a quality speech

• The audience will only remember the 33 sentence of a speech.

• Ensure that your speech is 34

Do’s and Don'ts

♦ Don’t start your speech until audience is 35

♦ You can make your main ideas or notes on cards or a 36

♦ You do not need to write down the 37 speech.

♦ You can just write 38 ideas.

♦ Remember to 39 yourself to see how long your speech will be.

♦ Don’t just read from 40 .

31 Answer: nervous

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q31 is “lectures”, “if the speech” and "important".
Based on the position of the blank, it is suggested that we must fill with an adjective.
According to the speech, all of the keywords are inferred in the above sentence and we must concern to adjective. For that reason, “nervous” is an appropriate answer.

32 Answer: a gift

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q32 is “many think”, “the ability”, and “make a good public speaking”.
With the position of the blank, we can refer that we should concern to a noun or an adjective.
According to the speech, “some people think” is synonym for “many think” in the question, and “the ability to give a good speech” also means “the ability to make a good public speaking”. For that reason, noun – a gift, after the phrase, is referred as the answer. “a gift” is the necessary word we need here.

33 Answer: last

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q33 is “prepare a quality speech”, “the audience will only remember”.
Based on the position of the blank, we must fill with an adjective.
The phrase “to prepare a quality speech” suggests that the answer will appear soon.
The keyword “the audience will really only remember” is inferred in the audio and we must concern an adjective, so, “last” is the word we need here.

34 Answer: well-organised/well-organized

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q34 is “ensure your speech”.
We need to fill an adjective in the blank.
According to the speech, the keyword is inferred and the adjective “well-organised” is the word we need. “well-organised” is the correct answer.

35 Answer: paying attention

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q35 are “don’t” and “start your speech until the audience”.
All the keywords are inferred in the above sentence, hence, the word “paying attention” is an appropriate answer. We need to write “paying attention”.

36 Answer: sheet of paper

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q36 are “can”, “make..notes”, “main ideas”.
Based on the position of the blank, we need to concern a countable noun.
All of the keywords are inferred in the above sentence, and the noun we need to concern is “ sheet of paper”. We cannot just write down “paper” because it is uncountable noun. “sheet of paper” is the words we have to write.

37 Answer: full

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q37 is “do not”, and “write down”.
Based on the blank, we need to write an adjective.
All of the keywords are inferred in the above sentence, hence, “full” is a word we need to write down.
The candidate can be confused between “entire” and “full”, but let’s focus on “do not”.

38 Answer: one or two/1 or 2

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q38 are “can”, and “write…ideas”.
The word we need to concern may be a noun or an adjective.
The keywords are inferred in the speech, and absolutely, “one or two” is 3 words and appropriate to the blank.

39 Answer: time

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q39 are “yourself”, and “see how long your speech will be”.
Based on the blank, we need to write a verb.
All the keywords are inferred in the above sentence, and the verb “time” is suggested as a correct answer.
Be careful with “timing”. “timing” is a noun, not a verb. So, it is not the answer.

40 Answer: a script

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q40 are “don’t read”.
Based on the blank, we need to write down a noun.
According to the speech, “don’t”, the keyword in the question, is synonym for “no one wants” and the keyword “read” is inferred in the above sentence. Hence, we have to write “a script” in the blank.

Part 4

Change Audio Sources

SECTION 1

EMPLOYER: Hello, is this John Murphy?

APPLICANT: Hi, yes it is.

EMPLOYER: Hi John, this is Ed Heisenburg from the Wild Dunes Spa and Resort calling about your application for our lifeguard position. Do you have a few minutes to talk?

APPLICANT: Yes, absolutely.

EMPLOYER: Great. Could you give me your address?

APPLICANT: Sure. My address is 45 Elsinore Court.

EMPLOYER: I’m sorry, was that Eleanor? Could you spell that for me?

APPLICANT: Sure - it’s Elsinore. E-L-S-I-N-O-R-E.

EMPLOYER: Okay, thanks. And is this the number we should reach you at in the future? 099885767?

APPLICANT: No, this is my home phone, but let me give you my mobile phone number instead: 077896245. Call me on that one.

EMPLOYER: Okay - I’ll make a note of that. Could you tell me your availability?

APPLICANT: Sure. I am usually available during afternoons or weekends.I would prefer not to be scheduled on weeknights because I work part-time as a waiter.

EMPLOYER: That shouldn’t be a problem, since we don’t stay open very late anyway. And do you have any other employment experience?

APPLICANT: Yes, I have worked at a few other places. I was the baseball coach at Ridgemont High School last season.

EMPLOYER: I see. And do you have any other experience that you would like us to note on your application?

APPLICANT: Yes. Last year I worked at the beach as a rescue diver.

EMPLOYER: Rescue diver? That sounds intense!

APPLICANT: Well, it’s really just like being a lifeguard, except in the ocean instead of a pool. So kind of like being a lifeguard at the world’s largest pool.

EMPLOYER: Haha. I see.

EMPLOYER: So could you tell me about the relevant skills you have? I’m guessing a lot, given your experience.

APPLICANT: I am CPR certified and have 2 years of diving experience.

EMPLOYER: Great! It sounds like you are well qualified for this position. When does your CPR certification expire?

APPLICANT: Hm. I think in November, but let me quickly check my CPR card ... actually, it expires in October.

EMPLOYER: Okay, so regardless you have it through the end of the summer. When is your ideal time to work?

APPLICANT: Since I work in the restaurant on weeknights, I like weekends best - specifically Saturday mornings.

EMPLOYER: I see. We do already have a lot of staff available on Saturdays, but I do need an early morning shift lifeguard. How early could you work Saturday morning?

APPLICANT: I can get there by 6.00 if need be.

EMPLOYER: You’ll be happy to know we open a little later than that, but I’ll put you down for Saturday mornings here.

APPLICANT: Oh awesome! I can’t wait to get started.

EMPLOYER: How about you come in next Saturday, the 12th?

APPLICANT: That sounds good.

EMPLOYER: Great - we can figure out other shifts for you to work when you come in then. One last thing - just out of curiosity, where did you hear about us?

APPLICANT: I heard your ad on the radio while I was driving this morning.

EMPLOYER: You know, I think you’re the first person who has responded to our radio ads. It’s almost always people who have seen us in the newspaper.

APPLICANT: Yeah, I don’t have time to read through the newspaper every morning. I have plenty of time in the car to listen to radio ads.

EMPLOYER: That makes sense. Well, thanks for your time, and we’ll look forward to seeing you on the 12th.

SECTION 2

GEOFFREY: Good evening, I’m Geoffrey Miller, from the University of Nottingham Student Union. And in this week’s free class, Carlos Garcia is going to tell us about safety around campus. Over to you, Carlos.

CARLOS: Thank you, Geoffrey. And thank you for all of your attendance today. Also, I would like to thank the student union here at the university for organising this lecture.

Well, I have been serving and protecting the city of Nottingham for over 20 years now as a member of the police department. Does anyone know what type of crime is the most prevalent on campus? I heard someone say drugs and alcohol - that actually isn’t too much of an issue. Violence? Nope. Actually, the biggest thing we worry about here is theft. The nature of crime on Nottingham’s campus is quite different from that of the surrounding areas.

Crime rates across the East Midlands are very difficult to control. We would like to see the rate stay the same for this calendar year, but it has been increasing steadily over the past three years. On campus, however, I’m happy to say that the overall crime rate has fallen this year. You wouldn’t think so if you have seen the extremely exaggerated stories in the media. The media has done nothing but cause more concern about crime in our area.

Even the crime shows you see today are a little bit farfetched, but at least viewers know they are not real events. We would really like to see more factual news articles out there so the public can have a rational sense of the safety level of our society.

OK, let’s move on to what to do when you see a crime. Do not get involved if at all possible, and do not draw too much attention to yourself by running away in a conspicuous manner.

Though most likely (and hopefully) you will not have to experience this situation, if you are being mugged please do not try to resist. Instead, be compliant and, seek help after the incident.

Like I said, though, it is highly unlikely that you will find yourself amidst a crime, but it is important to be prepared should it ever happen. We find that educating students and staff on the correct precautions to take is the best way to increase your safety. Just remember to be smart when you’re out late at night, and avoid any area or person that looks suspicious. I know it sounds obvious, but I cannot stress this enough.

It is also not a bad idea to have your mobile phone with you at all times, but be careful. If you are chatting on your smart phone on your way home, you are a prime target for thieves.

I’d like to see a show of hands - how many people have left work or the library after 10 p.m. to go home before? A lot of you, right? If you do have to go home late at night, please don’t walk home alone.

More often than not there is someone there that will be walking the same direction as you at some point. Walk home with a friend or coworker. Even if you must use your phone to call someone that is nearby to walk with you, it is always safer to walk home with someone.

So when you’re walking home, you may feel more comfortable with some sort of self-defense, such as pepper spray. Now, it’s your call whether you want to carry something like this or not. However, I absolutely advise against carrying a knife or any other offensive weapon. All too often they can be used against you if you are disarmed, putting yourself in more danger.

For all those interested, the recreation centre offers a free self-defense class to all students every Thursday evening. While obviously an introductory self-defense class may not equip you to fight off villains like a regular superhero, it does come in handy sometimes. After taking a self-defense class, you will surely be more aware of possible dangers and how to deal with them.

So hopefully now you have a more complete understanding of the nature of crimes committed on your campus, and how to avoid being a victim. I know most students at the University of Nottingham are not the criminal types, but remember that there is no barrier like a wall or something keeping non-students out. There is no army force securing the borders, and I doubt anyone wants it that way. The campus is generally a safe place, but it is not immune to small crimes once in a while.

Alright. That’s all I have to say for today. Stay safe!

SECTION 3

TUTOR: Hi Bobby, go ahead and sit down. Tell me about your research project.

BOBBY: Well, I decided to research football, and keys for success on a football team.

TUTOR: That sounds great. What are the guidelines for the test? Did the teacher talk to you about it in class?

BOBBY: No, everything is on a handout that was passed out. It says that the first draft is due at the end of next week, and the second and third are due later on in the month. I don’t understand why we have to keep revising and fixing it. Is this assignment really that important?

TUTOR: Well, this project is a major requirement for passing 11th grade English and will go on your permanent record.

BOBBY: Oh really? Does that mean it will affect what English level I am placed in next year?

TUTOR: Well, not exactly. You need a good grade to move on, but it is your

overall grade and teacher recommendation that determines what level of English you are placed in next year. Anyway, tell me about your topic choice. Do you play football?

BOBBY: Well, actually it’s because my father loves the sport. He watches it every weekend.

TUTOR: Cool! It’s a good idea to report on something you’re interested in.

TUTOR: I see you worked hard calling players and the head coach to talk, so let’s see what information you got.

BOBBY: Well, you have to listen carefully to the first call on the recording. It’s really hard to hear because the background noise is louder than the person’s voice.

TUTOR: Yes, it is a bit tough to discern. I’m afraid the player’s answer is too short as well. You will have to interview him again and try to get him to give a better answer.

BOBBY: Okay. I thought that might happen. I will call him again tomorrow.

TUTOR: Moving on, let’s look back at this question. You asked, “Tell me about a time when you learned a major life lesson through playing football, and explain how that has shaped the person and player you have become now, and how you hope to pass on that lesson.” It is a great idea for a question, but in an oral interview it is far too complex. I would advise you to break it up into multiple parts to get a better response.

BOBBY: I guess you’re right - I wouldn’t want to have to provide an answer to a question like that. I will simplify it. I found that when I asked players this question, it took too much time because they were truggling to answer the question completely. In fact, this is the question Joe Billings was answering when the tape ran out.

TUTOR: He did tend to ramble on all the questions, didn’t he?

BOBBY: He sure did.

TUTOR: I would recommend that when you go back and interview players again that you use a more sophisticated recording device. This recording is spotty, which indicates that the equipment wasn’t working consistently.

BOBBY: Okay. I guess it probably wasn’t the best idea to use the sound recorder on my phone. Hey, could you give me some feedback on the content of the report itself?

TUTOR: Sure! Let’s start by focusing on your topic. While I like that you chose to cover football, it seems inexplicit. The keys for success of a player and team is quite an interesting topic, but what is your thesis? That is to say, what conclusions can you draw from your research? I would suggest coming up with a strong thesis statement and then shaping your report based on that.

BOBBY: Is it really too vague? I put a whole lot of facts into it. I list the top 10 goal-scorers in football history, and later on provide statistics for a few of the most famous coaches and their records as coaches.

TUTOR: I think that’s great that you included these facts, but I think you focused too much on the facts and not enough on connecting these facts to make your point.

BOBBY: Ah, I see. Okay. So it looks like I have quite a bit of work to do before the deadline!

SECTION 4

Good morning. Today I am going to cover the daunting task of giving a quality speech - a thought that makes most of us cringe. In fact, 90% of all people feel nervous about public speaking, about 10% of whom are described as genuinely terrified. Hopefully when we are finished here today, you all will be in the 10% of the population who do not feel nervous at all.

Did you know that lecturers tend to get more nervous if the speech they are giving is an important one? It makes sense, right? You probably wouldn’t be nearly as nervous to address your residence hall about the proper use of the recycle and compost bins as you might be if you were asked to give the

graduation speech to your entire 5,000-student class.

So what is it that makes some people completely comfortable in front of crowds? Some people think that the ability to give a good speech is a gift that others are simply born with. This is almost never the case. Public speaking can be learned with practice.

The first, most important thing you can do to improve your confidence in delivering a speech is to prepare a quality speech. Honestly, while the content of your speech is relatively important, the audience will really only remember the last sentence you say. It is a good idea to structure the rest of your speech to lead up to this last point to really drive your message home. This is a good way to ensure that your speech is well-organised.

Once you are confident in the quality of the speech you have written, the rest is just about your stage presence. Let’s go through some do’s and don’ts of public speaking.

First, you want to command the attention of the room. Do not - I repeat, do not proceed with your speech until the audience is paying attention. Even Martin Luther King, Junior’s I Have a Dream speech wouldn’t have made any difference in the world without the undivided attention of his audience.

To continue with the I Have a Dream example, one of the reasons that MLK was such an effective orator was his ability to speak with passion and engage with his audience. That sort of charisma does not come from reading straight from paper. Don’t get me wrong - it is a good idea to write your main ideas down on a note card, sheet of paper, or something. But one factor that will consistently lead to a boring, forgettable speech is writing down your entire speech. Do not write your full speech down. If you are constantly reading your paper, you are not making eye contact with your audience, and thus failing to really express the feeling that goes with your ideas.

I advise you write one or two ideas, so i f you suddenly draw a blank you have something to jog your memory. If you’ve written a good speech that you believe in, those ideas should be sufficient to keep you on track.

Once you have those ideas written down, give your speech a few practice runs in front of the mirror, into your sound recorder on your phone, or with a friend before it comes time to address a crowd. That way you can hear how the ideas come across, make sure there are no abrupt transitions, and find out whether you’re talking too fast or too slow. Timing is important - make sure you time yourself beforehand to see how long your speech is.

That is pretty much it! With practice you’ll be able to deliver an expert speech that engages and even maybe inspires your audience. Just remember - speak with emotion. No one wants to listen to someone reading from a script.

As I come to a close in my speech, I’ll point out that I have employed all of these tips that I have covered. I practiced my speech ahead of time and timed it, and I can even show you my one small index card with just three simple bullets on it. It’s as easy as that!

NEW

NEW

IELTS Recent Mock Tests Volume 5

Part 1: Question 1 - 10

Part 2: Question 11 - 20

Part 3: Question 21 - 30

Part 4: Question 31 - 40

Tips for improving your ielts score

How to solve the question type "Diagram/Flow Chart Completion" in IELTS Reading

Questions 1-10

Phone interview

Questions 11-20

Questions 21-23

Questions 24-30

Questions 31-40

GIVING A SPEECH

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4

Comments:

About us

Our mission

NEW

IELTS Recent Mock Tests Volume 5

Part 1: Question 1 - 10

Part 2: Question 11 - 20

Part 3: Question 21 - 30

Part 4: Question 31 - 40

Share your score

Tips for improving your ielts score

How to solve the question type "Diagram/Flow Chart Completion" in IELTS Reading

Questions 1-10

Phone interview

Questions 11-20

Questions 21-23

Questions 24-30

Questions 31-40

GIVING A SPEECH

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4

Comments:

About us

Our mission